John m



(No Model.)

J; M. WHITE.

SPRING CATCH FOR WHIFFLETREE HOOKS. No. 430,716. Patented June 24, 1890 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN 'M. IVHITE, OF LAIVRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BENJAMIN I-I. FORBES, OF SAME PLACE.

SPRING-CATCH FOR WHlFFL ETREE-HOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,716, dated June 24, 1890.

Application filed April 8. 1890. Serial No. 347,049. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN M. WVHITE, of Lawrence, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Spring-Catches for WhiiiletreeJ-Iooks, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains [O to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of a whiitletree, showing my improvement in use;

Fig. 2, a like View, the body of the tree being broken away to show the method of mounting the hook; Fig. 3, a top plan View of the hook-head, and Fig. 4 an elevation showing a modification.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding. parts in the diiterent figures of the drawings.

My invention relates, especially, to catches for preventing tugs or traces from becoming 2 5 accidentally detached from whiffletree-hooks;

and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a simpler, cheaper, and more effective device of this character than is'now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation:

In the drawings, A represents the whiffietree, and B the hook, which is mounted thereon in the usual manner, and is of the ordinary form and construction. The catch 0 consists of a tubular body b, provided centrally with 40 a laterally-projecting flange cl. This tube is inserted in a suitable socket formed in the whiffletree-body A vertically below the head f of the hook B, and is secured in position by screws g, passing through said flange. The 5 bottom of the tube is closed, as shown at h in Fig. 2. A plungert' is fitted to slide vertically in the upper end of said tube and is cushioned upon a coiled spring j, disposed 011 the bottom It thereof. A laterally-projecting head 713 is formed on the upper end of the plunger and is provided with an indentation or socket m, fitted to receive the end of the hook B, said head projecting sufficiently to form a thumb-piece for depressing the plunger while adjusting the lug;strap on the hook. A longitudinally-arranged groove 19 is formed in the body of the plunger 2', and a set-screw q passing through the body I) of the catch slides in .said groove, the purpose of said screw and groove being to prevent 6o rotary movement of the plungerin said body.

In the use of myimprovement to adjust the trace on the hook B, the plunger 2 is depressed against the force of the spring j, freeing the head f of said hook. The trace may then be readily passed thereon. The plunger i being released, the coiled spring j at once forces its head into engagement with thehead of the hook B, and prevents the trace from being accidentally detached. 70

In the modification shown in Fig. 4C, a chamber 1 is formed in the whiffletree-body and the coiled spring j is disposed in said chamber, the tube or body I) only extending to the attaching-flange d. The plunger 1 has a stud 15 formed thereon, which works in an irregular groove o, formed in the body I). The upper end of said groove is bent at right angles at z, and again vertically at right angles at w, the bends z w preventing said plunger from being accidentally withdrawn from the body.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a catch for Whililetrees, the combination of a hollow body mounted in the tree, a plunger fitted to slide vertically therein, a spring for holding the plungerin engagement with the hook-head, and a guide screw or pin in said body projecting into a groove in the 0 plunger-body, substantially as set forth.

2. In a catch for whiffletree-hooks, the combination of a hollow body mounted on the tree, a plunger fitted to slide in said body and provided with a laterally-projecting grooved head forreceiving the end of the trace-hook, and a spring for holding said plunger in engagement with said hook, substantially as set forth.

3. In a catch for whiitietree-hooks, a tubu- 10o lar body combined with a spring-cushioned plunger fitted to slide therein, and provided with a grooved head for engaging the end of the tree-hook, a vertically-arranged angular groove in said body, and a stud on the plunger working in said groove, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. The tree A, provided with the hook B, in combination With the spring-cushioned plunger'i fitted to slide in the tube 17, and provided with the head 70, substantially as 10 described.

5. The catch C, comprising the tubular body I), having the attaching-flange d, the spring-cushioned plunger 2', provided with the head 70 and groove 19, and the guide-screw q,

arranged to operate substantially as and for I 5 the purpose set forth.

JOHN M. WHITE. Witnesses:

JOHN T. PIOKLEs, OsWELL M. J EWELL. 

